The DC-8 was the first
Douglas jet-powered transport. It entered service simultaneously with
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines on Sept. 18, 1959. Powered by four
jet turbine engines, the DC-8 was capable of speeds of more than 600
mph. In a test dive, it became the first commercial transport of any
kind to break the sound barrier. Throughout its 14-year-long production
run, the DC-8 went through seven major variants, for a total of 556
aircraft. In 1995, more than 300 DC-8s remained in
service, making more than 340 scheduled flights a day. Its versatility
allowed it to be fitted with high-bypass turbofan engines by another
company and called the Series 70.